Greenbrier Sporting Club (Snead)

Fergal O’Leary takes America on… again Fergal continues his quest to play the Top 100 Golf Courses of the World. His latest adventures were in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Illinois Fox Chapel The architect needs no introduction. The names of the holes need no introduction. As Raynor was making his way through Pennsylvania in 1923, the town of Fox Chapel was about to establish itself on the golfing map. With horses traversing the golf course shaping the iconic greens and rolling fairways, the evolution of a masterpiece was underway. As my eyes studied the scorecard on the 1st tee, I could feel my mouth watering as I saw the names of the holes and was about to embark on a trip down memory lane. The testament to Raynor comes to fruition when golfers around the world debate his greatest piece of work, and nobody can ever come to an agreement. The difference between modern day courses and those courses created during the Golden Age is that the grandfathers of architecture created layouts which require shot-making and imagination and barely tip out at 6,500 yards. The older courses were crafted by horse and excessive manual labour which is a far cry from the endless supply of machinery and technology we see today that generates the 7,500-yard courses we have to slog around in modern times. Fox Chapel Golf Club is an example of a golf course where golfers come to celebrate the Redan, the Punchbowl, the Cape, the Alps and who could ever forget the Biarritz (to name but a few). The club restored its bunkers a few years ago and ensured the steep lips were renovated back to original design. Each green is squared off at the front which is an old school characteristic I admired along with the history that echoes around the clubhouse. Breathe it in. Fox Chapel is fun to play and it’s exciting to peer down the adjacent fairways and see the architecture from many angles. The fact that the architect gave each hole a name, illustrates the personal connection that he made with each one. They are uniquely identifiable and collectively unforgettable. Pikewood National The State of West Virginia possesses one of America’s most difficult golf courses. With a slope rating of 147 and a course rating of 75.1 from the member’s tees (I won’t even bother mentioning the metrics from the championship tees), this layout will leave you out of breath. The genius of the property is that world famous architects didn’t create it. It was created by the owners of the land who had travelled the world playing golf and decided to exercise their imagination. With Golf Digest rating the course at #45 in America, I was eager to travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, to see for myself. The names of the holes at Pikewood National Golf Club sparked great curiosity and I subsequently learned that they were influenced by the owners’ friends based on their experiences throughout their respective golfing adventures. You can’t help but smile when playing holes called Hagge’s Knocker, Beaver and Cypress Pint. Exceptional conditioning, a natural routing and an appreciation for world-class design variety continually characterize Pikewood National. The naïve golfer will look at this land and think they are going to be climbing hills all day. You’ll quickly realise that although there are a couple of elevated tee shots, the fairways and topology are mostly flat despite being at altitude. The penal nature of the golf course is its demand for accuracy and finesse, but each green certainly has accessibility ensuring good playability. This golf course will host State or USGA events and is not to be taken lightly. The pride that the owners have for their land is mirrored in the care they take with its upkeep and the never-ending search for improvement for its members. I’m not a proponent of the landscape surrounding a golf course being a reason to give a higher rating, because the architect did not create the mountains, forests or oceans. I shake my head when I hear inexperienced course raters being asked “how did you like the course?” and their immediate response is “the view of the ocean is amazing”. I focus on what the architects created. At Pikewood the holes are developed in a direction that celebrates and leverages the views which are available, so it becomes a natural flow of how the golfing topology becomes one with the vistas. From the 2nd green you can see four different States and the holes take you on a private tour of the region. I highly commend the owners for having the “audacity” to develop Pikewood National as the best is yet to come for this exclusive club. Each hole is by itself and has its own evolving story. On a personal note, I look forward to returning to see the Shamrock shaped plaque on the 17th hole celebrating this Irishman who hit a drive 418 yards down the par five speed-slot. Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow didn’t get in the way of that ball. The hole is called Coupe DeVille, and it’s about to become a little bit more like Ireland after my unforgettable visit. Erin Hills Erin Hills is the second public golf course in Wisconsin to host a major championship. The 2011 US Amateur was, for most people, the club's introduction on the world stage. The announcement of the 2017 US Open further cemented its place in American golf history. Located 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee, the architects uncovered, rather than manufactured, the most impressive holes they could find on the property. The length of the course is barbaric from the black tees (7,823 yards) and even from the blue tees, it takes a foursome five and half hours to get round. So this place isn’t for casual players looking to enjoy the countryside for an afternoon while waiting for a Packers game to commence. The front nine is severe with very long par fives, greens with excessive undulations, a couple of blind tee shots and forced carries. Pulling the correct club as you judge wind and elevation change is paramount. With the exception of the beautiful 9th hole, I personally found the collection of par threes to be somewhat bland. I don’t think anybody will write home about them. The course will only tolerate perfect shots as danger and turmoil is literally waiting with open arms. If you hit a tee shot on the wrong side of a fairway, you could have a blind approach. If you hit an approach shot on the wrong side of a green, you’re looking up to the heavens for mercy. I feel like the course needs a little more design variety in terms of shorter holes and less punishment. I was informed that the undulation in the 3rd green is being softened ahead of the US Open which is clearly a step in the right direction. The yardage book gives advice on each hole, and it portrays the gauntlet nature of everything to avoid. The average golfer hasn’t a hope unless they play from the White tees. Erin Hills is a wonderful test of skill and it’s very rewarding for a scratch player to walk off the course even par. I thoroughly enjoyed my round and scored very well, but could quickly see how different it is from the classic layouts from decades gone by. I understand why it was selected to host the US Open and I pray for their sake that the wind doesn’t blow because the USGA will have their hands full setting up the monstrous layout. When I reflect on my day at Erin Hills, I think somebody should make a copy of the sign on the first tee at Bethpage Black and bring it to Wisconsin. Butler National When it comes to the epitome of a men’s golf club, one doesn’t have to look much further than the club that rests behind the large white-pillared entrance in Oak Brook, IL. The membership represents the nation’s elite and the golf course represents hell on grass. Butler National Golf Club has a reputation for being amongst the most difficult and penal layouts in America which examines every aspect of your game. The demographic of the golfers who play Butler is pretty one-dimensional as this place isn’t for average golfers. You’ll use every club in your bag and you’ll find yourself in awe of the property the whole way around. The bunkering is so impressive that each of them looks like it could jump up and bite you. They have huge muscular lips and weave amongst each other to carve your way through this unforgiving gauntlet. With that said, Tom Fazio was fair in so far as the ball will always roll back to the base of the bunker and give you the ability to get out. With such little play, this course is always in immaculate condition and is an immense privilege to be there. No matter how many times you play at Butler, it will always give you fits. The look of disbelief on golfer’s faces as they peer out in front of them is quiet entertaining. One could not imagine such brutality if their lives depended on it. Aggregate 640+ yard par fives, doglegs around water, doglegs through corridors of tall trees, treacherously tight entrances, rolling terrain crafted by the man above, putting surfaces that will repel anything less than perfection and greens running at 12 that would even make Hitler flinch, that’s Butler National. I have a friend who is a scratch golfer and has played at Butler many times over the years who says “Playing at Butler National feels like you’re slamming your hand in the car door for 4 hours”. The reputation, the challenge and the prestige made me fall in love with this club. It’s the type of layout where you really want to play well and you can sense your level of concentration increasing with every stride. The service inside the clubhouse is world class and the facilities are second to none. You haven’t been in a hot tub until you’ve been in the Butler National hot tub with a cocktail in your hand. You haven’t been to a “men’s bar” until you’ve been to the bar at this place. With no menus in the dining areas, you just have to tell them whatever you want to eat, and trust me they can make it. The gentleman who calls Butler National his home club owns a golf course that is the essence of golfing Mecca. Upon reflection of my latest visit to the Windy City, these 18 holes in Oak Brook achieve greatness in playability, resistance to scoring, design variety and up holding the true traditions of the game. Article written by our US Consultant, Fergal O'Leary, who continues his mission to become the youngest person to play the Top 100 Golf Courses of the World. Images courtesy of Fox Chapel, Pikewood National, Erin Hills and Butler National.

30th July 2008 Financial Corp to Take Over Pete Dye Golf Club Financial problems have prompted the sale of Bridgeport's Pete Dye Golf Club, based in West Virginia. In a letter to the club's members, club President James J. LaRosa, announced the sale to Textron Financial Corporation. The letter says the current economic downturn is forcing the sale. The letter goes on to say that Textron Financial has retained Davis Love Golf Management to serve as the club's new general manager. We contacted the LaRosa family, who did not wish to comment. A representative from Textron has confirmed that it is in talks with the current owners, but had no comment beyond that. According to Textron's website, it is "the largest golf finance company in North America". What the changes mean for the Nationwide Tour stop at the course remain to be seen. The Tour held its biggest stop of the year at the Pete Dye Golf Club earlier this month. The Players Cup was the first tournament in tour history to have a $1 million purse. The current nationwide tour contract with the Pete Dye Golf Club runs through the 2011 season. Executive Tournament Director Tim McNeely says he and the club have not had any substantive conversations yet. He also said ownership of golf courses does change hands and that it does happen on the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour, so this is not a unique situation. From: State Journal, West Virginia

For much of golf’s history, the idea of a hole measuring 700 yards or more would have seemed excessive. Today, such distances are no longer quite so extraordinary. The world’s longest holes are an eclectic group, spread across very different landscapes and created for very different reasons. Some belong to expansive resort courses, others to championship layouts, while a handful have become famous largely because of the sheer scale of the challenge they present. From a former world-record holder in North Carolina to an extraordinary par 7 measuring over 1km in South Korea, these are the 10 longest golf holes in the world. 10. Black Mountain Golf Club (North Carolina, USA) Hole 17 | 747 yards (683m) | Par 6 The 17th at Black Mountain is one of the survivors from an era when exceptionally long golf holes were still something of a novelty. At 747 yards, the par six was once recognised as the longest golf hole in the world - a distinction that helped put this small North Carolina club on the golfing map. The hole is part of Black Mountain's older nine-hole layout, which dates back to the 1960s, and its extraordinary length was a deliberate feature rather than an accident of modern championship-course design. From the back tees, the fairway climbs and falls through the foothills, with the green sitting far enough away that it disappears from view for much of the hole. For a course that otherwise has a relatively modest footprint, the 17th is an impressive piece of real estate. Its 747 yards are now exceeded by several holes built in the decades since, but the hole retains its place in golf's long-hole folklore. It is also a reminder of how quickly perceptions of distance have changed. What was once a world record is now the shortest hole in this particular top ten. 9. TPC Colorado (Colorado, USA) Hole 13 | 773 yards (707m) | Par 5 TPC Colorado opened in 2018 at Heron Lakes near Berthoud, with Arthur Schaupeter’s design set against open Colorado terrain and views towards the Front Range. The 7,991-yard course was built with tournament golf in mind and has since become a regular Korn Ferry Tour venue. The 13th, named “Longer Still”, is its defining hole. At 773 yards from the TOUR tees, it is the longest hole on a PGA TOUR course and the longest par five in PGA TOUR golf. Its principal feature is the enormous 108-yard Hell Bunker, which runs along the left side of the fairway and creates the key decision after the drive: challenge it to gain ground or lay back and accept a longer approach. At altitude, the hole does not play quite as severely as the yardage suggests, but its scale remains remarkable. More importantly, the length is integrated into the design rather than simply added as a spectacle, giving No. 13 a strategic identity that has made it one of the most recognisable holes in modern American golf. 8. The Reserve at Moonlight Basin (Montana, USA) Hole 17 | 777 yards (710m) | Par 5 Set at 7,500 feet above Big Sky in the Rocky Mountains, The Reserve at Moonlight Basin is one of Jack Nicklaus’ most dramatic mountain courses. Built across the former Moonlight Basin ski area, the 8,000-yard layout moves through forest and open mountain terrain, with more than 1,000 feet of elevation change across the property. The 17th is the signature expression of that setting. At 777 yards, it is already extraordinary on the card, but the hole plunges downhill towards the green, with the change in elevation and thin mountain air making the distance considerably less daunting than it first appears. A large fairway bunker sits around 370 yards from the back tee, beyond which the fairway reveals the full scale of the descent towards the green. It is a fittingly theatrical hole for a course where elevation is central to the experience. The 17th was also one of the holes that came to wider attention when Moonlight Basin hosted The Match in 2021 – when Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers defeated Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady – putting its spectacular setting and remarkable yardage on national television. 7. Penati Golf Resort - Legend course (Trnava Region, Slovakia) Hole 15 | 783 yards (716m) | Par 6 Opened in 2012, the Legend Course at Penati occupies a sandy, pine-covered site near Senica, with Nicklaus Design using the natural character of the property to create wide, undulating fairways and extensive waste areas. The course forms part of Slovakia’s largest golf resort and was the first Nicklaus Design course in the country. The 15th is the course’s defining feature. It has 11 teeing positions, allowing it to be played at very different lengths, but from the back tees, it stretches to 783 yards and becomes a par 6. The fairway is split by a large waste bunker, with further bunkering framing the second landing area before the hole finally turns towards the green. The hole gained international attention when the European Challenge Tour used the full 783-yard version during the Slovakia Challenge in 2015, 2016 and 2019. In regular play, however, it is generally shortened and played as a par 5 - a useful reminder that the extraordinary version seen on the professional circuit is only one interpretation of Central Europe’s longest hole. 6. Theodora Golf Club (Transylvania, Romania) Hole 18 | 804 yards (735m) | Par 6 Theodora Golf Club sits outside Alba Iulia on the banks of the Mureș, occupying a remarkably flat 56-hectare site. Opened in 2018, the resort was created around an 18-hole championship course, with a large lake excavated in front of the clubhouse providing material to shape the otherwise level ground. That lake is central to the character of the closing hole. The 18th stretches over 800 yards from the back tees, with the approach eventually leading to an island green shared with the 9th. The arrangement gives what might otherwise be a straightforwardly expansive hole a much more distinctive finish. Theodora itself describes the 18th as the longest par 6 in Europe, and it has become the defining feature of a relatively young Romanian resort that has steadily established itself on the European golf map. 5. The Links at Kahite Golf Club (Tennessee, USA) Hole 9 | 808 yards (739m) | Par 6 The Links at Kahite opened in 2002 as the third course in Tellico Village, occupying a natural setting between Tellico Lake and the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The links-style layout has six sets of tees, stretches to 7,170 yards and is notable for its 93 bunkers and tall fescue framing some of the fairways. The 9th is the course's defining hole: an 739-metre par 6 that runs in a notably direct line across the landscape. From the back tees it measures 808 yards, while the blue tees bring it down to 721, making the hole a very different proposition depending on where it is played from. The course's own guide describes it simply as a unique hole, with the fairway rewarding players who can keep successive shots in play. Its position at the turn also gives Kahite an unusual rhythm. After eight holes that establish the character of the course, the 9th opens out into one of the most distinctive holes in Tennessee golf before the back nine heads back towards the mountains. 4. Meadows Farms Golf Course (Virginia, USA) Hole 12 | 841 yards (769m) | Par 6 Meadows Farms is very much the product of its founder, Bill “Farmer” Meadows, who built the course on former farmland after taking up golf later in life. It opened in 1993 with an intentionally unconventional character: the 27-hole layout includes a baseball-themed hole, a waterfall green and an island green, alongside the hole that became its calling card. The 12th stretches to 841 yards from the championship tees, running downhill before turning right, crossing two lakes and climbing towards a large elevated green. A three-leaf-clover-shaped bunker guards the approach. The sequence gives the hole considerably more shape and interest than its raw length might suggest. For decades it was promoted as the longest golf hole in the United States, a distinction that helped make this eccentric Virginia course a destination in its own right. The current course still describes No. 12 as its signature hole and the longest in the country, as recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records. 3. The Links Golf Club (Idaho, USA) Hole 9 | 842 yards (770m) | Par 6 The Links Golf Club in Post Falls opened in 1999 on the broad, open Rathdrum Prairie, with owner and designer Emmett Burley shaping the course in the tradition of Scottish links golf. There are few trees or water hazards to interrupt the prairie landscape, leaving wind, wide fairways, deep bunkers and rough to define its character. The 9th has been the course's signature hole from the beginning. It was originally measured at 738 yards from the black tees, but subsequent changes have transformed it into an 842-yard par 6, now the longest hole on the course and one of the longest in America. That extra distance has only amplified the hole's original links character. With no trees or water to dictate the route, the scale of the prairie is laid bare, while the wind can have a considerable influence on successive shots. The green itself has two distinct levels, adding another layer to a hole that has evolved from an unusual feature into the defining landmark of The Links. 2. Satsuki Golf Club - Sano course (Kanto Region, Japan) Hole 7 | 964 yards (881m) | Par 7 Satsuki Golf Club’s Sano Course opened in 1979 in the hills of Tochigi Prefecture, with broad fairways laid through a landscape of trees and gentle elevation changes. The 18-hole course measures more than 7,200 yards from the back tees, but it is the seventh hole on the outward nine that has made the club internationally known. At 964 yards, the seventh was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest golf hole and remains the defining feature of the course. It is not simply a long, open stretch: the hole has trees crowding the tee shot, OB on both sides and a relatively narrow fairway, creating pressure from the outset. There are two greens, with the left measuring the full 964 yards and the right 924. The club’s own playing strategy reflects the scale of the hole: rather than simply attacking distance on every shot, the objective is to keep successive balls in play and leave the final approach within comfortable range. For many years, Satsuki’s seventh was the benchmark by which the world’s longest holes were measured. Gunsan Country Club has since surpassed it in sheer yardage, but the Japanese par-7 remains the more established name in the record books. 1. Gunsan Country Club - Jeongeup course (Jeonbuk State, South Korea) Hole 3 | 1,098 yards (1,004m) | Par 7 Gunsan Country Club is an extraordinary property in its own right. Built on a former salt field on Korea’s west coast, the sprawling complex now has 81 holes across more than 1,000 acres, with lakes accounting for roughly 380 acres of the site and 26 bridges linking the courses. The third on the Jeongeup Course is the hole that gives Gunsan its international reputation. At 1,004 metres from the black tees, it is a par 7 and the longest hole in this ranking. The hole is also the No. 1 handicap on its nine, with water running along the left and bunkers placed to complicate the long sequence of shots required to reach the green. Its scale is matched by an unusual sense of place. The hole emerged from the transformation of the old salt works into one of Asia’s largest golf complexes, and its local nickname, the “1004 Hole”, is a play on the 1,004-metre length. Gunsan has built much of its identity around these extreme holes, with a 661-metre par 6 elsewhere on the property, but the Jeongeup third remains the defining feature. At 1,098 yards, it is comfortably longer than Satsuki’s 964-yard seventh and takes the top spot here by distance. Guinness World Records, however, has historically recognised Satsuki’s hole, so the distinction between the longest hole by yardage and the Guinness record is worth keeping in mind.